The Smartest Character In American Horror Story: Coven

"American Horror Story: Coven" remains one of the most popular seasons of the popular horror anthology. As the third season in the series, it centers around a group of women who descend from the historic witches of Salem, Massachusetts. The young witches then meet at a secret boarding school called Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies. While there, they learn more about their powers, their history, and their role in the world. Sarah Paulson, Jessica Lange, Angela Bassett, Emma Roberts, Lily Rabe, Gabourey Sidibe, and Taissa Farmiga make up just part of the absolutely iconic cast, and their characters remain among the all-time favorites in all of "AHS" history.

Not only are the characters in "AHS: Coven" well-dressed, powerful, and wonderfully devious, they're also alarmingly clever. Their abilities vary greatly, from clairvoyance to injury transference, but the core group of characters has plenty of smarts to match their skills: the power-hungry Fiona Goode (Lange) would be nowhere without her cunning mind, Madison Montgomery's (Roberts) plotting is also (mostly) perfectly executed, and Queenie (Sidibe) knows how to befriend her enemies to her advantage.

While the "AHS: Coven" witches are an undeniably smart bunch, there's one character in the popular third season whose smarts stand above the rest.

When people think of "AHS: Coven," they likely think of two things — witches and voodoo. The latter is thanks not only to Queenie's impressive human voodoo doll power, but also the undeniable powers of Marie Laveau (Bassett), the Voodoo Queen. Laveau is arguably the smartest character in "AHS: Coven" due to her extensive knowledge of voodoo magic, her proficiency at working with allies to reach her goals, and her drive to accomplish whatever she sets out to do.

Marie Laveau's intelligence is also apparent since she's managed to live undetected by the non-magical world for hundreds of years. She was originally alive in the 19th century before she received the gift of immortality, and thus lived through so many events that could've easily led to her exposure. She knows when and where to allow her powers to show themselves, and her intelligence has kept her safe while allowing her the freedom to do what she needs to do.

When it comes to "AHS: Coven," there are tons of smart characters, though their human weaknesses, impulsivity, and lack of life experience make for some unintelligent choices. Therefore, Laveau stands out as the smartest character out of the group — and the best witch in "AHS: Coven."